This study evaluated the effects of intercropping aromatic plants like rosemary and basil with olive trees in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The aromatic plants grew well but had no significant effect on olive tree productivity, including number of inflorescences, fruits, and average fruit weight. The neutral effect may be because not enough time elapsed for the aromatic plants to produce chemical compounds, their density was too low, or olive production was low that year due to climate variability. Intercropping could still be a viable practice and deserves further testing under normal weather conditions and with higher aromatic plant density to better understand potential effects.

1. Intercropping aromatic plants
and olive trees as a
sustainable practice
Matheus Pepe – Federal University of São Paulo
matheus.pepe@unifesp.br

2. Building sustainability in agricultural areas:
ecological alternatives for oliveculture in
Minas Gerais

3. This was all fruit from a partnership!

4. This was all fruit from a partnership!

5. Tackling agriculture’s problems

6. In nature

7. In nature

8. Intercropping and nature’s resemblance
https://static.agcanada.com/wp-
content/uploads/sites/4/2019/02/WADO_soybeans__flax_intercrop_Alexis_Stockford_cmyk.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Intercropping_maize_and_beans.jpg

9. Facilitation: a promising interaction

10. Facilitation: a promising interaction
• Highly unpalatable
• Chemical repellants
• Provides habitat to natural enemies

11. Facilitation: a promising interaction

12. The location: Aiuruoca, Minas Gerais

13. Total area: 100 hectares
14 hectares used for olive production

14. The species
Basil
(Ocimum basilicum)
Rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis)
Olive tree
(Olea europaea)

15. The experiment
20 olive trees
Rosemary
20 olive trees
Control
20 olive trees
Basil
6x 6x
https://static.thenounproject.com/png/773875-200.png
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0028/7703/0511/
products/basil_1024x1024.png?v=1549557606

16. Parameters and statistical analysis
• Olive productivity
• Inflorescences
• Fruits
• Average fruit weight
• Aromatics growth
• Height
• Basal area
ANOVA-1
T-test +
ANOVA-1

17. 0
20
40
60
80
100
Basal Area 0 Basal Area 1
Basalarea(mm2)
00
10
20
30
40
50
60
Basal Area 0 Basal Area 1
Basalarea(mm2)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Height 0 Height 1
Height(cm)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Height 0 Height 1
Height(cm)
Good news first: aromatic plants grew!
p < 0,0001
p < 0,0001p < 0,0001
p < 0,0001
10 months

18. 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
Rosemary Basil Control
Numberofinflorescences
Treatment
But then… No effect at all
p = 0,514

19. No effect at all
p = 0,796 p = 0,971
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Rosemary Basil Control
Numberoffruits
Treatment
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
Rosemary Basil ControlAveragefruitweight(g)
Treatment

20. • No significant herbivore impact
Why is there no effect?

21. • Not enough time for the aromatic plants to build up
chemical compounds
• Low density of aromatic plants
Why is there no effect?

22. • Low production in 2018
Why is there no effect?

23. Neutral effect
(for the olive trees productivity)

24. •Intercropping x climate variability
•Buffer against total farm loss
•More irregularity with climate change
So, what does that mean?

25. •Intercropping x climate variability
•Buffer against total farm loss
•More irregularity with climate change
•Might be especially important for
low/medium-low income countries and
agriculture-based economies
So, what does that mean?

26. Take-home message
•Intercropping aromatic plants and olive trees
seems to be viable
•Aromatic plants do to not affect olive trees
•We should test it again
•Under usual weather conditions
•Under higher aromatic density

27. Acknowledgments
Nélio Weiss Phellipe
Santiago
Kevin
Fantinatti
Dr. Prof.
Camila T. Castanho
National Council for Scientific and Technological Development